Trap-nest.



W. J. HOLLY.

' TRAP NEST. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1912.

1,067,340, Patented July 15, 1913.

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7 O Attorneys W. J. HOLLY.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1912.

1,067,340, Patented July 15, 1913.

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the entrance will be closed, the exit being WARD J'. HOLLY, OF PEVJAMO, MICHIGAN.

' TRAP-NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1913.

Application filedlune 1, 1912. Serial No. 701,076. 1'

To a l whom it may concem Be it lmown that I, VVARD J. HOLLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pevvai'no, in the county of Ionia'and State of Michigan, have invented anew and useful Trap-Nest, of Which-the following is a' specification. v

This invention relates to trap nests for hens, and contemplates a device of this character into which a hen tnay enter in order that the hen may remain therein in quietude and seclusion, and out of which the hen may pass in order to vacate the same.

This invention also aims to provide a device of the character indicated embodying a casing having entrance and exit openings and whereby the hen may pass into the casing through the entrance, in which event,

normally closed, and means being provided for opening the entrance when the hen va rates the nest-through the exit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trap nest wherein the hen is compelled to occupy the nest through one opening and is compelled to vacate the nest through another opening, so that the device may be employed for segregating the work 1 ing hens from the drones by having the two openings communicating with adjacent or adjoining yards or inclosures,

A further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character indirated so th t a hen may occupy the nest through the entrance and vacate the nest through the exit to the exclusion of other i hens while occupying the nest, and wherein the nest cannot be occupied through the exit or vacated through the entrance.

The present invention also aims to pro- I duce a device of thisch'aracter which shall be simple, substantial, durable and inexpen sive in construction, as well as convenient and efiicient in use.

Tith the foregoing ends in view, this inventien resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being-understood that this device 5 is susceptible of alterations or deviations in I its details within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention has been illustrated in its prefeiredjsmbodi'ment in the accompanying tive* of another nest embodying drawings, wherein similar reference characters have been employed to denote corresponding parts, and whereiri- Figure l is a perspective view of. the trap nest with the top of the casing open and the various parts being in position for the hen to occupy the nest. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the nest with the top removed. F ig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective of'a detail. Fig. 5 is a fragmentalperspeca modified form of exit door. I

Referring in detail to the drawings, the casing has been designated by the numeral 5, said casing being box-like in form and having its top 6 preferably hinged thereto so as. to permit the top to swing open, and this casing being constructed of wood, fiber or any other suitable material. This casing 5 has an entrance opening 7 in one end thereof, and has an exit opening 8 in one side thereof adjacent its otheror rear'end', the respective openings being provided with the doors 11 and 20. The entrance door 11 is hinged to the front end of thepl'atform 10 by means of the hinges 12 and is slidable on the lower end of .the entrance opening .6,

the platform 10 having its inner or rear end i pivoted within the casing with its free end j arranged adjacent the entrance opening and i the door 11 being hinged tothe free end thereof. The adjacent ends of the platform numeral 25 in'order to limit the downward movement of the door 11 relative to the platform. Rollers 13 are mounted at the lower end of the entrance opening? over Whichthe door 11 passes and afford suitable anti-frictional means 'forthe said door. The platform 10 is pivotedwithin the easing5 by means of a cross bar 9 secured to the inner or rear end thereof and having its ends trunnioned or pivoted to the sides of the casing. A stop or seat 24 is arranged within the casing below theplatform 10 in order to permit the downward movement of the platform when the same is depressed. The exit. door 20 is hinged to one side of the exit opening 8 by means of anupright shaft or pint-1e 22 at one side of the exit opening and to which the door is comiected. An arm 21. rejects inwardl from the upper end of t e shaft or pin e 22 through the exit "opening 8. A bell crank lever 14 is and door are beveled as designated by the r fulcrumed as at 15, to the side of the casing having the exit opening 8, and one arm thereof, designated 17, carries a roller or wheel 18 which extends in under the platform 10, the other arm 16 of the lever proecting upwardly, and being connected to the arm 21 of the exit door 20 by means of a pitman or connecting rod. 19. The arm 17 of the bell crank lever also preferably carries a suitable weight 23 which will tend to swing the arm 17 downwardly and thereby normally close the exit door. -A partition 26 is arranged between the sides of the casing below the cross bar 9 and the nest proper, designated by the numeral 27,,is located between the partition 26 and the rear end of the casing, the said partition 26 serving to close the passage from the nestproper to the space in under the platform 10.

In practice, when the nest is unoccupied, the entrance door 11 is lowered so that the the casing, the said door forming an inclined platform leading through the entrance opening 7. When the door 11 is lowered or swung downward, the free end of the platform 10 Willi-be swung upward, the bevels of the platform and door abuttin against each other to prevent the hinged ends of the said parts from swinging upwardly excessively. The exit door 20 is normally closed by the weighted arm 17 of the bellcrank lever, thereby preventing the nest from being occupied through the exit opening, the said door swinging outwardly to open the exit opening. The nest may thus be occupied by a hen, the hen walking upward through theentrance opening 7 upon the door 11, and when the hen steps upon the platform 10, the weight of the hen will cause the free end of the platform to be depressed which will swing the inner end of the door 11 downward and will cause the free end of the'door 11 to be swung upward thereby closing the entrance opening 7. The platform ltl'in being swung downwardly so as to swing the free end of the door 11 upwardly to close the entrance opening 11, locks the door 11 from being opened, unless the same is drawn upwardly, and as a fowl outside of the nest cannot raise the door 11, the hen which has entered the nest may occupy same to the exclusion-of other hens and fowls, and the hen occupying he nest can not vacate the nest through the entrance opening. The hen may then pass from the platform 10 into the nest roper 27 and after the egg has been lai may vacate the nest by passing through the exit opening and thereby opening the door 20, it being preferable to provide a small opening bets een the free end'of-the door 20 and the corresponding side of the entrance opening 8 or to normally permit the door 20 to,

be slightly opened so as to lead the hen to pass through the exit opening without difliculty. When the door 20 is opened by the hen vacating the nest, the arm 21 in being swung will cause the bell crank lever to be swung therewith, thereby raising the roller 18 which in striking the platform 10 will elevate or raise same to cause the door 11 to drop or gravitate to normal position. This action will cause the entrance door to be opened when the exit door is opened, and after the hen has vacated the nest through the exit opening, the exit door 20 will be again closed by the weighted arm 17, thus ermitting the nest to be again occupie will appear that the nest may be readily occupied through the entrance opening so as to permit the hen to remain therein in seclusion and quietude and without being injured or disturbed by fowls or other anigmals on the outside. free end thereof is positioned in front of By having the entrance and exit openings communicating with the adjoining or adjacentyards or inclosures, this device may be used for segregating the working hens from the drones. for the reason that the hens in entering the nest from one yard or inclosure are compelled to vacate the nest into the other yard or inclosure, thereby collecting the workers in the latter yard or inclosurmor the one which communicates with the exit opening. i

In using the device, it will be not d that the hens may only gain entrance iito the nest through the entrance opening and can only vacate the nest through the exi opening, so that it is impossible for t e hens after once vacating the nest into 0 e yard to return into the yard or inclosure from which they came by passing through the nest. This segregation of the hens may prove useful in determining the workers or "selecting the workers from a flock, so that the drones may be replaced by. others.

When it is desired to leave the entrance opening open for any period of timein order to permit the hen to occupy and vacate the nest through the entrance opening. the door 11 may be held down, as seen in Fig. 1. This door 11 may be retained in its lowered position in any manner, and when the door is retained in its lowered position, the nest may be occupied and vacated through the entrance. In this manner, the attendant may keep the nest open during the day time, or whenever desired, and then by removing the obstruction whiclrretains the door 11 in its lowered position. will'cause the nest to operate in the usual fashion. It is also possible to lock the exit door .20

against being opened, so that when the nest is occupied, the hen is trapped therein and is prevented from vacating the nest; so thatthe hen may be retained therein for any reason or other. The objects aimed at are thereby attained in an eflicient manner, and it will be apparent that this device may be constructed in various sizes and manners. and of various materials, as deemed desirable or essential, and may be altered or changed in its details within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5, the exit door 20 is arranged on the inner side f the casing and is pivoted as at 22' above the doorway 8 so as to swing vertically to and from the doorway or door-opening. The pitman 19 is connected directly to the door 20' adjoining the pivot 22 so that when the exit door is swung upwardly, the pitman vill be drawn rearwardly to open the entrance door, which is the sameas in the foregoing structure. \Vhen exit door "20 closed, a sight or lookout opening is left between the rear edge of the door and the rear edge of the doorway 8 in order to lead the hen through the exit opening when vacating the nest. The guide 28 is secured between the rear edge of the doorway and the rear end of the. casing, and a guide or deflector 29' is carried by the door and extends to the rear edge thereof, in order to cooperate with the guide 28, so that when the hen forces her way betweenthe guides and the exit door 20 will be swung upwardly in order to open the doorway 8. 'Ehe door 20' carries the roller 30 at its lower end which contacts with the sideof the casing to provide for the easy swinging motion of the. door, thereby providing suitable anti-frictional means for the door. The (ilrfllf 20, after the hen has vacated the nest, will. again return to closed position, by gravity.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is i 1. A trap hens nest embodying a casing having entrance and exit openings, a platform pivoted at one end within thecasin with its free end arranged adjacent-the en trance opening, a door hinged to the free end of the platform and slidable on the lower end of the entrance opening. a door for the exit opening, a lever pivoted within the casing and connected to the exit door, and a roller carried by the lever and positioned below the platform so that when the exit door is opened the platform is elevated.

2. A trap hens nest embodying a casing having an entrance opening at one end and an exit 0 enin in one side a latform pivoted at one end within the casing with its free end arranged adjacent the entrance. opening, a. door for the entrance opening hinged to the free end of the platform and slidablc on the lower end of the entrance WARD J. HQLLY.

Witnesses:

. G. W. AMSDEN,

JAMES T. Coma.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

arm of the lever and the exit. 

